3M announced in February of 2008 the release of the Amelior™ suite of real-time workflow automation solutions from Patient Care Technology Systems (PCTS) to its healthcare customer base. The Amelior software comprises hospital-wide and department-specific workflow information systems to improve patient flow and reduce the risk of medical errors.
Texas Regional Medical Center Sunnyvale broke ground in February 2008 on its 117,000-sf general acute care hospital sited on 29 acres in Sunnyvale, Texas. Slated for completion in 2009, the $68 million facility will be managed by Rockwall Hospitals. The 70-bed hospital will house medical/surgical suites, six operating rooms, an emergency department, ICU, and labor and delivery suites.
Virginia Mason Medical Center has awarded Skanska USA Building a $114 million construction management contract for a new 75,000-sf healthcare facility in Seattle. Construction began in early 2008 with completion slated for May of 2010. The building, which will connect to the adjacent existing hospital, will house an emergency department, intensive care units, operating rooms, lobby, and a central utility plant.
Maryland General Hospital broke ground in February of 2008 on a 96,500-sf addition to its Baltimore campus. Designed by architectural firm Hord Coplan Macht, the $57 million project will house operating rooms, eight ICU rooms, laboratories, and a pharmacy.
The Medical University of South Carolina opened the 641,000-sf Ashley River Tower in Charleston on February 4, 2008. Designed by NBBJ, the $400-million facility is the first hospital in the nation to meet new seismic and hurricane building codes. Specializing in the treatment of cardiovascular and digestive disease, the 156-bed facility includes 32 ICU beds, nine operating rooms, catheterization and interventional labs, endoscopy and imaging suites, an outpatient clinic, and a dedicated chest pain center.
Linc Facility Services (LFS) acquired Morse Medical, the largest independent clinical technology maintenance and management service organization in the Pacific Northwest, in early 2008. The acquisition will enable LFS to strengthen its healthcare service portfolio and accelerate the expansion of its geographic footprint. Headquartered in Bellevue, Wa., Morse Medical has 10 service centers across the Puget Sound with services spanning basic field service for physician offices to complete turnkey solutions for hospital and health care systems.
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore installed the the MAGNETOM® Verio magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system from Siemens Medical Solutions in January of 2008. Combining 3 Tesla strength and sensitivity with a 70-cm open bore and Tim™ (Total imaging matrix) technology, the MAGNETOM Verio is helping Hopkins Bayview to provide high-field imaging to many people who previously could not benefit from the technology.
Saint Francis Health System celebrating the opening of The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis in Tulsa, Okla. on February 1, 2008. The $72.6 million, 104-bed facility will provide pediatric inpatient and outpatient care, ICU, and medical/surgical procedures. The hospital provides family-centered care, promoting collaboration between hospital staff and parents, and features a nurse’s station and sleeping space for two family members in each private patient room.
Cleveland Clinic broke ground in late January of 2008 on Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD). Sited on Al Suwwa Island in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the integrated hospital clinic is expected to open in 2010. The project team for the 360-bed multi-specialty hospital includes Mubadala Development Company, builder ALDAR Properties, and San Francisco-based architectural firm HDR.
Swisslog, a leader in automated material transport systems for the healthcare industry, has developed the TransLogic pneumatic tube system (PTS), a total system solution that meets the unique material transport requirements of hospitals. Renowned for reliability, TransLogic pneumatic tube systems transport carriers at speeds up to 25 feet per second with payloads of up to 15 lbs. In addition, TransLogic pneumatic tube systems continue to innovate in response to the demanding needs of hospitals.
Mercy Memorial Hospital broke ground on a $60 million expansion of its Ardmore, Okla., hospital in January of 2008. The new wing is comprised of a five story plus basement patient tower housing 158 private rooms, an ICU, and a woman's health center. Completion is slated for June of 2010.
Quincy Medical Center completed the renovation and conversion of the Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH) in Quincy, Mass., in January of 2008. The project team for the 20,700-sf, 38-bed private room project was comprised of Needham, Mass.-based Nauset Construction and architectural firm David H. Dunlap Associates of Hanover, Mass. The multi-phased, fast-track project included renovating and converting an entire floor within Quincy Medical Center on an aggressive two month schedule with upgrades to both the electrical and HVAC systems.
Stanford Medical Center, comprised of Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, has named architects for the estimated $2 billion seismic upgrade and expansion project in Palo Alto, Calif. Lead architect Rafael Viñoly of New York will work with Burkhart, Liu Inc. of Marina del Rey on the Stanford Hospital project comprising 1.4 million-sf in new construction and including a 600-bed inpatient hospital.
Children’s Memorial Hospital will break ground in spring of 2008 on a new pediatric hospital in Chicago. The $850 million facility will be funded in part by a $100 million donation from Ann Lurie, for whom the hospital will be named. The project will feature state-of-the-art technology and equipment to support pediatric health research and treatment. Completion is slated for 2012.
BIOQUELL PLC, a UK company specializing in decontamination technology and testing/compliance services, has announced that its superbug eradication technology has been upgraded by the UK Department of Health's Rapid Review Panel (RRP) to Category One status. The RRP was set up by the Government in 2004 to facilitate the rapid review by an independent panel of leading UK infection control experts of the products and technologies which could be used to combat hospital-acquired infections, or superbugs, in National Health Service (NHS) hospitals.
